Top 10 Tuesday: Free Agent Fits for the Vikings
NFL free agency begins in one week. Here are the 10 best fits for the Vikings
With one of the most exciting periods of the offseason just a week away, let’s take a look at the 10 best free agent fits for the Vikings.
The disclaimer here is that these are not necessarily the 10 best available free agents. This list is comprised of the 10 players who represent the best fit given their skill set and market combined with the Vikings needs and budget.
WR Darius Slayton
A 5th-round pick of the New York Giants in 2019, Slayton just had his 28th birthday and is entering the prime of his career. His production looks modest at first glance, but bear in mind he’s been stuck in offensive hell for all of his career as the Giants have struggled to find a productive quarterback. Slayton is speedy - ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine - and he’s also a versatile and tough player who is unafraid to make contested catches in traffic. He fits in with the Vikings as a No. 2 receiver along with Jordan Addison, who is expected to be suspended for a few games to begin the 2025 campaign.
QB Trey Lance
The next subject of Kevin O’Connell’s quarterback school should be Lance. He’s a former top 5 draft pick who has been with both the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys but has yet to show the promise associated with his pre-draft hype. O’Connell and the Vikings are just the situation to bring it out. Sure, J.J. McCarthy is set to be the starter and the team is excited about his future. But the 2024 season proved you need a Plan B. Should something go awry with McCarthy in 2025, Lance has the physical tools and upside to pull off a version of what Sam Darnold pulled off in Minnesota last season.
OG Patrick Mekari
The interior of the offensive line should be a priority for the Vikings this offseason, and this list reflects that. Mekari, who spent the first six seasons of his career in Baltimore, is just 27 years old and would represent a huge upgrade as a pass protector relative to what the Vikings have had in recent seasons. His run blocking is not special, which is why he’s further down on this list compared to a couple other guards, but he would be a sure-fire upgrade at right guard and would give the offensive line a tougher and grittier identity.
DT Osa Odighizuwa
The 26-year old former Dallas Cowboy measures in at 6-2, 280-pounds and would give the defensive interior some much-needed juice. Odighizuwa (pronounced oh-DIG-ee-zoo-wah) had 7.0 sacks in 2024 and ranked third in pressures (60), fourth in quarterback hits (14) and fifth in hurries (39) among all defensive interior players last season. His run-stopping ability is a bit more mediocre, but he’s known for a penetrating style and that’s a trait that could be leveraged by the Vikings’ coaching staff as they look to improve his run defense.
OG Aaron Banks
At 6-5, 325 pounds, Banks would beef up the Vikings’ interior offensive line and, along with incumbent right tackle Bryan O’Neill, give Minnesota one of the best RG-RT tandems in the NFL. Banks comes from the 49ers, so you know he’s Kyle Shanahan-approved as a run blocker; Shanahan is the NFL’s pre-eminent minds when it comes to run design and scheme.
C Josh Myers
The third offensive linemen on the list (so far), Myers is the first center and, again, would be an instant upgrade over what the Vikings have had at the position of late. Plus, he’s a former Green Bay Packer so signing him would weaken a division rival. Garrett Bradbury is a smart player and a tremendous locker room guy, but he struggles to anchor against bigger defenders and he’s been unable to dominate in the running game. Myers would bring all the intangibles Bradbury does but he’d be able to pass the test physically in the trenches against bigger defenders in the run game.
OG Will Fries
The last - and highest rated - offensive linemen on this list, Fries was someone I identified early on as a natural and excellent fit for the Vikings. Albeit in only 268 snaps due to a broken tibia, Fries was a standout at his position last season. Pro Football Focus gave him an 86.9 overall grade, a 74.9 pass blocking grade and an 84.9 run blocking grade. Among 135 players graded at his position, those grades ranked him fourth, 18th and fifth, respectively. At 6-6, 305 pounds, Fries has the frame you’re looking for in a right guard. He will command a handsome salary but he won’t break the bank. And he is just entering his physical prime at 27 years old.
CB D.J. Reed
The best cornerback who will make it to the market this offseason, Reed, the former New York Jet and 49er, will have many suitors. The Vikings should be one of them. Reed has great movement skills, can play in man or zone and is known as a smart and instinctive player. What he lacks in size and run-game tenacity he makes up for in pass defense and swagger. His fit in Brian Flores’ defense would be that of an outside cornerback, which pairs perfectly with Byron Murphy, Jr. because the Vikings’ veteran plays best in the slot.
DT Milton Williams
You can find a lot of defensive tackles who are stout against the run. Sometimes you can find defensive tackles who major in rushing the passer. Rarely can you find a defensive tackle who excels at both. Williams is one of the rare examples. Granted, his stock has never been higher coming off a solid season and then a dominant performance in the Super Bowl. But this tout is not of the prisoner of the moment variety. Williams is the real deal and is a great fit in the Vikings’ defense.
S Cam Bynum and CB Byron Murphy, Jr.
It may be difficult and inadvisable to spend what would be required to retain both Bynum and Murphy, Jr., but the point of this article is to identify the best fits for the Vikings in free agency. From what these two have shown in purple, they are tremendous fits in Flores’ defense. The Vikings would be remiss to let both walk out the door. While they should prioritize pursuing and signing multiple players on this list, it should be a simultaneous priority to retain one or both of these defensive backs.